Cyeus



(No Model.)

G. H. ROBINSON. STEAM HEATING APPARATUS.

No. 467,900. Patented Jan. Z6, 1892.

. aviez we,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES II. ROBINSON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO ARTHUR S. lROlVN, OF VVASIIINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

STEAM-HEATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,900, dated January 26, 1892.

Application filed April 5 1887. Serial No. 233,804. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES HENRY ROB- NsON, of St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam- 'Ieating Apparatus,of which the following is t specification.

'lhe object of the present invention is to ize the steam at excessive pressure within steam-generator of a locomotive for heat- 3' purposes. Then a locomotive stops or is inning on a downgrade, the steam is shut off irom the steam-cylinders, and asa consequence not only is the steam unutilized for purposes of propulsion, but also the steam, being constantly generated in the generator, rises to a pressure beyond the safety limit and blows off through the safety-valve and is thus wholly lost. To save this excess of live steam and utilize it for heating a railway-train is the object of the invention. To accomplish this the generator is equipped with an automatic reliefvalve, which opens at a pressure less than that of the safety-valve of the locomotive, but

i' greater than the normal working steam-pressure. This relief-valve communicates on its eduction side with a system of radiating-pipes extending throughout the train, so that the surplus live steam which would otherwise be lost is conveyed into the radiating system, where it heats the cars. The relief-valve is Wholly automatic in character, so that it requires no attention, and the specified pressure at which it opens permits only steam which would otherwise be lost to be used for heating purposes. It takes no steam Which would be used for propulsion, and it does not interfere with the functions of the safetyvalve. Preferably this means of utilizing the surplus live steam is used conjointly with means for utilizing for heating purposes the exhaust-steam from the steam-cylinders.

The present improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a side view of a railway-locomotive and a portion of a railway-train provided with the improvements. Fig. 2 is a detail view of thepiping and pipe connections, showing their relation to the generator. Fig. 3 is a vertical section in detail of the automatic B is one of the steam-cylin- II is a coupling, 6o

nected with the exhaust of the steam-cylinder B, as by a pipe J, so as to utilize the exhaust-steam as well as the surplus live steam. The utilization of the exhaust-steam, however, constitutes in itself no part of the present invention, and the exhaust may be made to enter the radiating system by any of the means known in the art-as, for example, by the means set forth in Letters Patent of the United States, granted to me November lO, 1891, No. 462,740.

W is the steam-generator, having the usual steam-dome O and the usual weighted main safety-valve P.

Q is the auxiliary automatic relief-valve opening outwardly from the steam-dome. 8o

This relief-valve may be of any known and suitable construction; but, as shown in Fig. 3, it is a disk valve having a tubular guidestem m sliding in a cylindrical prolongation n of a valve-casing o and is weighted by a spring p, the tension of which is adjustable. The relief-valve should be weighted at a pressure just below that, at which the main safety-valve opens, so that, While it will open before the main safety-valve, it will, neverless, not open at so low a pressure as to interfere with maintaining the proper Working pressure within the generator. A pipe R leads from the valve-casing 0 to the steam radiating system, and preferably communicates directly therewith.

In order that steam may be admitted into the radiating system before the train starts and before the steam-pressure is sufficient to operate the automatic relief-valve, a pipe S,

IOO

controlled by a hand-valve fr,is shown connecting directly from the generator to the pipe R, and thence with the radiating system.

In order that in case the steam-cylinders are not Working the pressure in the radiating system y need not fall, a check-Valve T, as

shown in detail in Fig. 4, is located at any convenient point in the piping. This valve is preferably located on the piping on the locomotive between the pipe J, leading from the exhaust, and the point where the pipe R connects with the radiating system, so that the effect of the live steam Will not be lost by backing into the piping on the locomotive.

I claim as my inventionl. In a steam-heating apparatus, the steamradiating system, the steam-generator, and a safety-valve to said generator, in combination with an auxiliary automatic relief-valve located Aupon said generator, and a pipe conn ectin g said valve with said radiating system, substantially as set forth, whereby when said valve is opened by the pressure Within vthe generator steam is admitted into said radiating system.

2. In asteam-heatingapparatus, the steamradiating system, the steam-generator, and the safety-valve thereof, in combination with an auxiliary automatic relief-valve located n pon said generator, Which opens at a pressure less than that at which the safety-valve opens, and a pipe connecting said relief-Valve directly with said radiating system, substantially as set forth.'

3. In a steam-heating apparatus, the steamradiating system and the steam-generator,in combination With the safety-Valve of the generator, a pipe leading directly from the generator to the steam-radiating system, and an auxiliary automatic relief-valve located in said pipe, which valve when open discharges the steam into the radiating system and which automatically opens under a less pressure than the safety-valve, substantially as set forth.

4. In a system forheating railway-trains, a steam-radiating system connected to the cylinders of the locomotive, in combination With the safety-valve of the generator, a pipe leading from the generator direct to the steam-radiating system, and an auxiliary automatic relief-valve located in said pipe,which opens automatically at a less pressure than they safety Valve and discharges steam when opened into the steam-radiating system, substantially as set forth.

5. In a system for heating railway-trains, a steam-radiating system extending through the train, the eXhaust-pipes leading' from the cylinders of the locomotive, and pipes connecting said exhaust-pipes with said radiating system, in combination with the steamgenerator, the usual safety-Valve thereof, a pipe con necting Osaid generator directly with said radiating system, and an auxiliary automatic relief-valve located in said pipe, which Valve is balanced so as to open automatically at a less pressure than the safety-valve and which When'bpened admits steam d'irectfroln the generator intosaid radiating system, sub stantially as set forth.

In ytestimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. ROBINSON.

.Vitnesses:

R. B. WHITACRE, C. N. WooDWARD.

It is hereby eertied that the name of the assignee in Letters Patent No. 467,900 granted January 26, 1892, upon the application of Charles H. Robinson, of St. Paul Minnesota, for an improvement in Steam Heating Apparatus, was erroneousi; Written and printed Arthur S. Brown, Whereas said name should have been Writtei and printed Arthur S. Browne,- and that the said Letters Patent should be read Witt this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of theease in th Patent Ofee.

Signed, eountersigned, and sealed this 9th day of February, A. D. 1892.

CYRUS BUSSEY, Assistant Secretary of the Interior.

[SEAL] Countersign ed z N. L. FROTHINGHAM,

Acting C'oonmisst'one?n of Patents. 

